WHAT do Burnley and Formula 1's Lewis Hamilton have in common? They are both guilty of taking their foot off the gas.

The vital difference for Burnley is that they were still pronounced winners at the end of proceedings at Turf Moor last night.

It looked as if manager Steve Cotterill's predictions of a mauling would be borne out.

In his press conference, prior to the visit of lowly Norwich City, he made reference to the number of occasions where he has been impressed with the footballing fayre his players have served up.

All that was missing was more precise finishing to benefit from their build-up play.

"Our football is good and that's why we're creating chances," noted the Clarets boss.

"We have just got to be a bit more clinical and take them.

"And when we do take them someone's going to get a good hiding."

Burnley were certainly in pole position three minutes into the first half when Andy Gray's penalty followed hot on the heels of Robbie Blake's 56-second opener - easily the fastest goal of the night.

It was the second time the Clarets' strike duo had been on the scoresheet in the same game this season, after they helped to put Oldham Athletic to the sword in the Carling Cup second round, but the first time in the league.

Plenty to celebrate there. But there could have, and should have been more before the break.

Kyle Lafferty, restored to the left flank in the starting line-up after recovering from his international excursions with Northern Ireland, was a particular driving force, and was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet after playing an integral part in Blake's opener.

Clarke Carlisle again went close to heading in a corner, while Blake might have added to his tally, and appeals for a second spot kick, this time for a foul on David Unsworth, were turned down.

The longer the game wore on though, 'the hiding' didn't appear to be forthcoming.

Instead, the Clarets were more than comfortbable against a team sitting second bottom in the Championship, without a manager following the sacking of Peter Grant, without an away win to their name all season and coming to Burnley having won only once in all of their trips to Turf Moor.

A first clean sheet was on the cards until the second half introduction of John Hartson.

The former Arsenal and Celtic striker, who completed a loan deal from West Brom earlier this month, might have had at least a hat-trick on his debut on Saturday.

Smarting from being unable to take any of his numerous chances, while also being on the wrong end of a 3-1 scoreline against Bristol City, Hartson wasn't about let his side end scoreless tonight.

And within moments of his 59th-minute introduction, Norwich were back in the game.

Burnley weren't without their chances to wrap up the three points.

But had it not been for a brilliant late save to deny Hartson's fellow substitute Jamie Cureton, Burnley might have incurred their fourth consecutive home draw.

"After a bright start and playing very well in the first half, if we do the same things in the second half we get the third goal, which makes things more decisive," Cotterill said.

In the end, they had done just enough to get back on the winning track.

Norwich got forward from the kick-off and were awarded a corner after just 16 seconds, but it soon proved to be a false dawn thanks to a determined Lafferty.

The 20-year-old burst forward on the break after Chris McCann had stopped Simon Lappin's delivery dead 12 yards out.

Lafferty, displaying the sheer grit that helped get the better of Sweden's Olof Mellberg last week, took the ball off the midfielder's foot and made a surging run down the left flank.

His cross was perhaps intended to meet John Spicer's driving run down the middle, but when it rolled through for Wade Elliott, it mattered not.

The right winger took the ball on a few more yards before his inviting cross found Blake.

Completely unmarked, the Burnley front man buried a header beyond David Marshall.

Strike partner Gray doubled their lead two minutes later from the spot, after being involved in earning the penalty award himself when he and Blake combined in the box.

Jon Otsemobor clipped the goalscorer, Blake went down heavily but was convincing enough for the referee, and Gray made no mistake.

On a double-page spread of the programme bore the words "Burnley Football Club has this season undertaken a vow to extend the matchday entertainment for home games."

Two goals in the opening three minutes. Now that's entertainment.

Carlisle almost made it 3-0 on seven minutes but he thumped a header from Blake's corner narrowly wide at the near post.

Norwich were struggling to get a foothold in the game, but when Simon Lappin's diagonal ball into the box sailed over Unsworth's head - the referee ignoring the defender's appeals for a foul - Luke Chadwick brought a good save from Gabor Kiraly from close range on the half-hour.

But Burnley ended the half on top. Blake's ball in from the left was headed back across goal by Elliott, but it was a foot too far behind Gray.

Lafferty had an early second half chance turned behind by Marshall, and from the corner McCann was unlucky to lift the ball over the bar.

Wary of troubling the hamstring strain that had kept Blake out of the Barnsley clash, the striker was replaced by Alan Mahon just before the hour.

At the same time, Hartson entered the arena, with David Strihavka making way.

Mahon was first to make an impact as McCann had a header from his corner clawed out from underneath the crossbar.

Hartson controlled Russell's cross with his back to goal and set up Chris Brown to finish.

Norwich caretaker manager Jim Duffy then introduced Jamie Cureton to add to the late drama, and it needed a superb save from Kiraly to deny the former Colchester hitman a certain equaliser when Brown found him unmarked after receiving Hartson's flick-on.